Melinda Hill Perrin, the daughter of former Texas Attorney General and Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hill, has been perhaps even more visible at UT-Austin. Alongside his obvious connection to Texas football as a former player, Perrin made it clear this morning that the fans are an integral piece of the success of Texas athletics across the board.
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“The seriousness of the job I’ve been asked to do is very important to me”, Perrin said Wednesday at his introductory news conference. “Fans vote with their feet”, he said. But now with the firing of Patterson, and the lack of improvement so far just two years into his tenure, he too might be out of a job by season’s end.
Patterson’s 22 months in Austin were marked by an aggressive push for more money at the nation’s wealthiest athletic program, and discontent among fans and some major donors.
Again, Perrin is clearly someone who cares deeply about what happens with Texas athletics. His warm dreams of uniting the program belied a sharp and calculated approach that made him one Texas’ most accomplished personal injury lawyers, working out of Houston.
Patterson raised ticket prices in men’s basketball and football and eliminated many once-complimentary perks for coaches and athletic department employees, including meals, as a means of cutting budget. He’s been a top donor, served on the school’s women’s athletics council, and once owned Smokey, the cannon a Texas spirit group fires after every touchdown. He says university President Greg Fenves called him about the job on Labor Day. “He has complete integrity and impeccable judgment”.
Patterson has a guaranteed contract worth $1.4 million annually that will end in August 2019 and has no buyout clause, said Yahoo! Perrin said that he wants to be as active as possible in decision-making in athletics, and that he hopes to still be around to affect real change in the department, including being around to transition to Patterson’s permanent replacement.
Perrin put to rest any concerns about the immediate future of football coach Charlie Strong, who is 7-8 overall in his second season.
On Wednesday, Perrin cited his history with the school as a strong motivator. He was hired in November 2013 at the University athletic club.
“He’ll do great”, Dodds said. Perrin said he was concerned by the empty seats at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium this past Saturday for the Rice game.
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Also on the table is lucrative new licensing and apparel deal once the current contract with Nike expires next year. “My focus today is a smooth and quick transition with Mike as interim athletic director”, he said”.
